Harry Styles might be an international pop heartthrob – not to mention something of a ladies’ man – but his mum tells heat magazine that he’s still very much her little boy.

“I do worry about Harry, as any mum would,” Harry’s Mum Anne Cox tells heat (on sale now), “but so far it’s been amazing the way he’s taken it all in his stride and remained so grounded. I know I’m biased, but he’s genuinely a lovely lad, just a normal 18 year old doing abnormal things at the moment.”

“He’s a mummy’s boy,” Anne goes on to reveal. “Sometimes, he phones up to five times a day. When there’s a time difference, he tends to text saying, ‘I love you, Mum,’ or ‘I miss you’. He’s still my little boy.”

Best hugs ever!

Anne also reveals that Harry still gives her lots of hugs and kisses when he comes home from being on tour with One Direction

“He gives the best hugs ever,” proud Anne boasts. “I love hugging him and kissing him when he comes home. He’s a very caring and lovely guy – being in the group is the best thing that could have happened to him, because Harry wouldn’t enjoy being out on the road on his own.”

Tied down

As for Harry’s complicated love life, Anne says she doesn’t think the age gap between him and his ex Caroline Flack was important, and she also explains that he’s not planning on tying himself down at the moment (errr, we could tell from all the dates he’s going on),

“I have met Caroline Flack, but I don’t want to go into things about the two of them,” she says. “That’s over now. I never really thought about the age gap, but I had an age gap with Harry’s dad [she’s 44, he’s 54] so I suppose that’s what he saw. I don’t think it’s very important, to be honest.”

“He’ll make a nice boyfriend when he’s ready,” she reckons. “He’s very sensitive and isn’t a Jack the Lad. At the moment he doesn’t want to tie himself down. He had one or two girlfriends when he was younger, but no one very special.

“I’d love Harry to have a family one day, and he’d love one, too. He’d make a fantastic dad.”

We’re sure Harry won’t be short of volunteers when does want to settle down and start a family…

Harry’s mum is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for the Believe In Magic charity for terminally ill children.  To sponsor her visit www.justgiving.com/Anne-Vicky-webelieveinmagic

Read the FULL interview only in this week's heat - on sale now!